Maria Hill had nearly reached the limit of her self-control.
The fury burning inside her threatened to erupt at any moment.
But she knew Nolan was not someone who could be intimidated, nor someone who would yield under pressure.
Even though he had just killed Natasha in front of everyone, Maria forced herself to remain calm.
Outside the battlefield, countless surveillance satellites had captured every second of what had happened.
They all knew exactly what had caused this confrontation.
The Infinity Stones.
If she had any choice, Maria Hill would never allow Nolan to obtain even a single Infinity Stone.
His strength had already surpassed anything Earth could restrain.
If he acquired even more Stones, there would no longer be anyone capable of opposing him.
Only by placing the Stones in different hands could humanity preserve a way to stop Nolan if he ever turned against Earth.
But she also understood that now was not the time to argue about that.
That wasn't the reason she had made this call.
Nolan walked over and took the phone.
"This is Nolan."
"I've just finished a war."
"I'm exhausted and desperately need some rest."
"So if you have something to say, make it brief."
His tone carried no courtesy whatsoever.
Maria Hill wasn't surprised.
They had met before, but they had never been friends.
To Maria, Nick Fury was the person she admired more than anyone else.
And Nolan had personally removed Fury from the position of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, leaving him under permanent watch and unable to return to politics.
Even during Thanos' invasion, Fury's only role had been to call Captain Marvel back to Earth.
He had never been allowed anywhere near the battlefield.
In truth, Fury had tried several times to intervene.
Each time, Nolan had stopped him before he could.
Every Lock Technology robot stationed inside Fury's home was connected to Red Queen.
In effect, Nolan had assigned Red Queen to monitor Fury twenty-four hours a day.
If Fury ever acted beyond the limits Nolan had set for him, Nolan would kill him without hesitation.
Fury understood that perfectly.
Unlike other high-ranking officials, Fury couldn't simply remove the Lock Technology robots from his residence.
Everyone knew those machines ultimately answered to Nolan.
But Fury had no choice.
Under those circumstances, it was impossible for Maria Hill to have any favorable opinion of Nolan.
And Nolan already knew why she had called.
That was exactly why he had answered.
As expected, Maria spoke the moment the line connected.
"Nolan."
"I am speaking on behalf of the Security Council."
"You cannot take all three Infinity Stones."
"If you do, no one on Earth will have any means of restraining you."
"That is an unacceptable risk."
"If you insist, the entire world will become your enemy."
"But if you're willing to surrender one of the Stones, then there is still room for negotiation."
Her position was perfectly clear.
Nolan could keep two of the Stones.
But never all three.
That was the Council's absolute bottom line.
Nolan smiled faintly.
"I think you've misunderstood something."
"Or perhaps those old fossils on the Council have."
"What makes you think I care about their opinion?"
His voice was filled with unconcealed ridicule.
Looking up toward the sky, Nolan stared directly at one of the satellites orbiting above Earth.
Although it floated in space, his vision could clearly make out the camera pointed at him.
He knew Maria wasn't alone.
Every member of the Security Council was almost certainly listening through a conference call.
Maria's words represented the will of those politicians.
And Nolan had never cared about their opinions.
Nothing on Earth could restrain him anymore.
The only things capable of limiting him were his own conscience...
His own morals...
And his family.
The Security Council wasn't included in that list.
He simply didn't want another war.
But if anyone tried to force him into doing something against his will...
He wouldn't hesitate to remind the entire planet who truly held power now.
He had won Earth's sovereignty from Asgard.
He had defended it against the Dimension Lords.
Everything he possessed had been earned through battle.
He had sacrificed more than anyone to protect this world.
None of those politicians had the right to dictate how he should be rewarded.
He had paid the price.
Now he would claim what was his.
Maria Hill's expression darkened.
Just as Nolan had guessed, although she was speaking, she wasn't alone.
Hundreds of holographic projectors filled the conference room.
Each displayed the face of a Security Council representative from across the world.
Every one of them had heard Nolan's words.
And every one of them looked furious.
Maria muted the call.
The representatives immediately began arguing.
"Nolan has gone too far!"
One representative slammed his fist onto the table.
"Does he think his contributions give him the right to dominate Earth?"
"This planet belongs to everyone."
"No one has the right to control it."
"What he's doing now is simply the final step toward placing the entire Earth under his rule."
"If we compromise today..."
"Tomorrow the whole planet will belong to him!"
"I refuse to accept that!"
Many others nodded angrily.
Yet a handful remained remarkably calm.
One representative finally spoke.
"I agree with your concerns."
"But what good does anger do?"
"Our real question isn't whether we oppose Nolan."
"It's whether we can actually defeat him."
"If we start another war without the certainty of victory..."
"Our nations..."
"Our families..."
"Our people..."
"Will all suffer the consequences."
"So the issue isn't whether to fight."
"It's whether we can guarantee a decisive victory."
"If the outcome is mutual destruction..."
"I see no value in starting that war."
His voice remained calm throughout.
Almost frighteningly rational.
Many representatives gradually quieted down.
Some still opposed him.
Others reluctantly agreed.
But none of them could deny one fact.
Nolan's power had already surpassed anything they had ever imagined.
If they declared war without a way to kill him...
The result would almost certainly be catastrophic.
At best, both sides would be crippled.
At worst...
Only they would suffer.
Nolan might be wounded.
But he would never die.
No one wanted that outcome.
"What if we convince Captain Marvel..."
"And every other superhero to stand with us?"
someone suggested.
The proposal immediately sparked another round of discussion.
But eventually someone shook his head.
"That's a possible direction."
"But can we really persuade every superhero?"
"Nolan's strength has surpassed everyone's imagination."
"Many of those heroes admire him."
"Take Wanda and Pietro, for example."
"Nolan saved them when they were children."
"They're Avengers today because of him."
"If we go to war against Nolan..."
"Do you honestly think they'll stand with us?"
"And don't forget..."
"We're overlooking someone far more dangerous."
"Who?"
"Hela."
The room instantly fell silent.
Hela's existence was like a bomb hanging over everyone's head.
For the members of the Council, her existence was no longer a secret.
"But Hela is independent."
"What does she have to do with Nolan?"
another representative asked.
Someone else answered.
"Your intelligence network clearly isn't thorough enough."
"Over the past several months, Hela has frequently traveled around Earth."
"She visits famous landmarks."
"She enjoys local cuisine."
"But every so often..."
"She always goes to Lock Technology."
"She always meets Nolan."
"We don't know what their relationship truly is."
"But it's obvious they're far closer to each other than she is to us."
"And don't forget."
"Hela once tried to conquer Asgard."
"Her ambitions have never disappeared."
"If we fight Nolan..."
"Who's to say she won't seize the opportunity to fulfill those ambitions?"
"What if she decides to help Nolan rule Earth?"
The room became even heavier.
Another representative spoke.
"There's something else you're all forgetting."
"Nolan returned from the dimensional battlefield incredibly quickly."
"We know almost nothing about that battlefield."
"We don't even know where it exists."
"But according to the Avengers..."
"The enemies inside were no weaker than Thanos."
"So ask yourselves."
"Could Nolan really defeat all those Dimension Lords alone?"
"And another question..."
"Where was Hela?"
"Did she leave Earth before the war?"
"Or..."
"Was she actually fighting beside Nolan in the dimensional battlefield?"
Someone immediately understood.
"You mean..."
"Hela may have held off the Dimension Lords herself..."
"Which allowed Nolan to return to Wakanda and fight Thanos?"
The speaker simply nodded.
That was enough.
Everyone's faces turned grim.
Nolan alone was already a nightmare.
If Hela truly stood at his side...
Then they couldn't even imagine how such a war could be won.
It would exceed the limits of what Earth could possibly endure.
"So..."
"Is compromise our only option?"
someone asked helplessly.
After a long silence...
Another representative sighed.
"Perhaps it is."
"At least..."
"The Time Stone is still on Earth's side."
The room fell silent again.
The Time Stone.
Except...
It wasn't actually in their hands.
It belonged to the Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen Strange.
In other words...
Although all six Infinity Stones were now on Earth...
Not a single one belonged to the governments of the world.
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